Blue-print-dying machine.



C. M. WATERMAN. BLUE PRINT DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-6,1915.

l 11 9.,69. Patented July 11 1916;

fay mm CLARE M. warnnman, or CHICAGO, rumors.

BLUE-PRINT-DBYING MACHINE. v

IJIWIJEQIQ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,134.

To all whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, CLARE M. WATERMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city of Chicago, State of Illinois, one of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blue-Print-Drying Machines, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of the invention are to obviate the difficulties met with in the operation of a single belt machine in maintaining a uniform' tension on the drying belt and eliminating the disadvantages of side creeping of the belt.v

A further object is to devise a simple and compact form of blue print drying machine which is very simple to operate and effective in its work and which may be produced at very low cost. v

A still further object is to facilitate the placing ofthe wet prints to he dried into the machine. I v

' The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the drying belt is passed around a rotatable heated drum and uniform tension maintained upon the belt by means of a floating gravity roller supported in a loop in the belt, and whereby the belt is adjusted by means of an adjustable tension roller.

A further important feature consists in the arrangement of an idling roller adjacent to the feed side of the belt.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is arentral vertical cross sectional view of a machine constructed in accordance withthis invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the machine. ]Fig. 3 is a front elevational view.

Iiike numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in eachfigure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 are the end members of. the frame of the machine connected together by suitable spacing bolts 2 and supporting in suitable journals a pair of rollers 3 and 4 midway of their height.

5 is a heating drum open at the end and rotatably mounted upon the rollers 3 and 4 being heated from the interior by a suitable burner 6.

7 and 8 are rollers journaled between the ends ofthe frame and arranged substantially perpendicularly abovethe rollers 3 and 4, the peripheries thereof being close to the drum 9 is a roller arranged adjacent to the roller 7 having its ends journaled in adustable journal blocks 10 slidably arranged in the slots 11 in the frame ends 1.

12 are adjusting screws arranged in the Patented Judy 1111, tare.

frame ends and connected to the blocks 10 V for the purpose of adjusting the roller 9.

13 is a roller arranged slightly below and adjacent to the roller. 4.

14 is an adjustable roller supported at the ends in journal blocks 15 arranged in the slots 16 in the frame ends, said roller being adapted to engage the periphery of the drumv between the rollers 8 and 4 and being held in contact thereof by pressure of the springs 17, the tension of which may be adjusted by j the screws 18.

19 is the drive belt which is formed of any suitable material being endless and extending over the rollers 9 and 7 and around the drum 5 passing over the rollers 8 and 14 and downwardly and passing over the roller 13 and under the roller 3 back to the roller 9. The belt 19 is looped to hang below the roller 13 and 20 is a floating gravity roller formed of a heavy material such as cast iron. This roller 20 is preferably ground slightly and provided with large annular flanges 21 at the ends which are spaced slightly from the edges of the belt.

22 are spindles extending from the ends of the roller 20 and passing through the vertically arranged slots 23 formed in the frame endsl. The spindles 22 are free to rotate within the slots 23 and to move upwardly or downwardly or laterally therein so that the gravity roller has perfect freedom of movement being retained only in a transverse position by said slots and spindles.

The rollers 3, 4 and 8 are preferably rotated by means of a suitable endless drive belt 24 arranged on the outer side of the ma chine either one of the shafts being driven by any suitable means' which is not herein shown as any ordinary form of driving connection may be used.

25 are projecting arms formed on the ends of themachine having vertical notches 26 in the upper sides adapted to receive the spindle end of the roller 27 which roller is adapted to hold the wet prints. v

28 is a small brass roller supported in the frame ends between the rollers 27 and 9 over which the wet sheets of paper are passed in unwinding them'from the roller 27 to the belt 19.

29 is a scraper member pivotally supported between the spring ends and having an edge 30 engaging the top of the heating drum, said scraper being weighted above the pivot to hold it in contact with the drum.

In the operation of this machine the burner is first lighted to heat the drum. The roller 27 is used to carry the wet paper from the washing bath and it is then placed in position upon the machine. The prints are unrolled from the roller 27 over the surface of-the brass roller 28 and from there brought into contact with the rotating endless belt passing around the rollers 9 and 7. The wet print adheres to the canvas and is drawn around between the belt and the heated drum. All wrinkles are removed in thus passing around the drum and the paper is subjected to an ironing effect by the pressure ofthe weightof the drum resting upon the rollers 3 and 4 and also by the pressure roller 14. The paper is thoroughly dried in thus passing around the drum and as the belt turns outwardly over the paper 8 the paper is freed from the surface of the drum by the scraper 29 which turns the paper over the top of the beltand it-is deposited upon the table 31 suitably supported from the frame. l

The belt passing over theroller 14 and around the roller 3 is not subjected to any undue friction as the belt travels at the same rate on both sides in contact with these rollers.

The important feature consists in the use of the gravity roller 20. This roller is formed with large end flanges and is slightly ground to hold its position'in the loop of the belt and by its weight maintaining a tension upon the belt which overcomes any bad effect through the undue stretching of one- .to tilt at either one end or the other or allow the roller to travel laterally with the belt when sald belt moves toward one or the other side of the machine.

The machine is made with a width considerably greater than the -belt to allow of considerable latitude of movement as thebelt being wet to a great extent at times in spots at elther one side or the other has a tendency to-creep sidewise, When, in the operation of the machine the belt travels too much in 7 one direction the operator can immediately correct this travel by operating the adjusting screws 12 to change the angle of the roller 9 and to increase the tension on either one side or the other of the belt thus causing it to move back to its normal position. v

The arrangement of a gravity adjusting roller in a machine of this description obviates the necessity of extending the belt a long distance out from the machine in order to effect the proper drying and to avoid undue stretching and consequently the machine is made less cumbersome and occupies much less space.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a blue print drying machine, the combination with the frame and a rotatable heated drum, of a plurality of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a single endless belt supported upon said rollers and passing around the major portion of the periphery of said drum and having a pendant looped portion, a gravity roller suspended in said pendant loop of said belt, said gravity roller being free to move laterally with the belt.

2. A blue print drying machine, comprising, a frame, a pair of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a heated drum rotatably supported on said rollers, a plurality of rollers arranged in said frame adjacent to the drum, a single endless belt extending around said rollers and passingin contact with the major portion of the periphery of said drum, said belt having a pendant loop portion, a weighted roller suspended in said loop and free to move laterally with the belt.

3. A blue print drying machine, comprising, a frame, a pair of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a heated drum rotatably supported on said rollers, a pair of rollers extending longitudinally of the drum and close to the periphery at the upper side, a single endless belt passing around said upper rollers and around the under periphery'of the drum, rollers interposed to suitably support the portions of the belt in contacting with the drum, and a weighted gravity roller suspended in a looped portion of the belt and adapted to move later'ally with said belt having a spindle extending therefrom engaging guides in the frame. 4. A blue print drying machine, comprising, a frame, a pair of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a heated drum rotatably supported on said rollers, a roller arranged adjacent to theupper front roller adjacent to the drum, a roller arranged below the rearmost lower roller supportmg the drum, a roller arranged rearward of the upper rearward roller, said latter roller being adjustably supported in the frame and adapted to engage the periphery of the drum in pressure contact, a single endless belt traveling around said rollers and assing around the under periphery of the rum and between said drum and the pressure ineaeea roller, and a gravity roller carried in a looped portion of the belt.

5. A blue print drying machine, compris ing, a frame, a pair of rollers extending transversely of said'frame, a heated drum rotatably supported-on said rollers, rollers arranged adjacent to the upper side of the drum, a single endless belt adapted to extend around 'said rollers and around the under periphery of the drum and having a looped portion, a weighted gravity roller carried in said looped portion, an adjusting roller arranged beneath the belt adjacent to the upper forward roller having adjustable journals at the ends adapted to be moved inward or outward to or from the drum and at either side to adjust the tension of the belt. I

6. A blue print drying machine, comprising, a frame, a pair of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a heated drum rotatably supported on said rollers, a plurality of rollers arranged adjacent to the upper side of the drum, a single endless belt passing around said rollers and around the under periphery of the drum, an idler roller supported at the forward end of the ma chine adjacent to the belt and adapted to guide the paper on to the belt;

7. A blue print drying machine, comprising, a frame having vertical slots therein,

a pair of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a heated drum rotatably .supported on said rollers, a plurality of rollers arranged adjacent to the upper side of the drum, a single endless belt passing around said rollers and around the under periphery of the drum and having a looped portion, a Weighted gravity roller supported in the looped portion of said belt having flanged ends and an extension spindle projecting from each end thereof and extending through vertical slots in the frame.

8. A blue print drying machine, comprising, a frame, a pair of rollers extending transversely of said frame, a heated drum rotatablv supported on said rollers, a plus rality of rollers arranged adjacent to the'upper side of the drum, a single endless belt passing around said rollers and around the under periphery of the drum, and a scraping member pivotally supported above the top of the drum and engaging its periphcry and adapted to remove the prints from the surface of the drum and direct them outwardly.

o. M. ATERMAN. 

